The V.I.C.I. Diaries: Valley of the Damned (Part 11)

[DukeNukem 2417]

“Okay, I'm going to go ahead and guess that an overturned SWAT tank in front of the main entrance is NOT a good sign....”

Major Tom's remark wasn't lost on the rest of the Field Agents who guided their horses to a stop at the front entrance of the ALPA HQ. “What the hell happened here?!” Johnny Dash muttered. “Every car's been flipped, all the doors are off their hinges, every freaking pane of glass is busted---it's like a freaking riot passed through here while we were out!”

“It doesn't matter,” Jen reminded him. “We have to get in there and make sure the building is clear---”

“As much as I admire your enthusiasm,” Oberon mused, “I think we may need to look at this situation from another angle entirely. Running in to play the cavalry is one thing---getting mowed down like rats because someone decided to run in without properly assessing the situation....well, obviously, that's something else. I, for one, think we should take a moment to look things over---” He paused, frowning, as the “borrowed” SJSU bus pulled up; “Then again,” he added, “I also would prefer a small bit of subtlety, for once. Any chance you could've done that quietly, Alicia?” he called out to the emerging driver.

Predictably, the blonde gynoid laughed it off. “And when have I ever been one for a quiet entrance?” she asked, grinning as she stepped off the bus. “It's not like they didn't know we were inbound, either...”

“Save the joking for after the mission,” Oberon advised. “Right now...” He arched an eyebrow as a group of gynoids emerged from around a corner. “Either the welcome wagon budget has gone completely to pot,” he mused, “or they've been busy all day....any chance I can help you girls with anything?” he called out, waving to the group.

“As a matter of fact,” the caramel-skinned leader of the group replied, “you can---if you brought spare ammo.”

Oberon sighed, shaking his head. “And how many rounds did you waste this time, Rae?”

“None---every bloody shot hit what it was aimed at. Those blasted stupid fembots are regular bullet sponges, sir; no matter what we hit, they kept coming.” Rae stared back at the building; “Rumiko and Sunny nearly got their faces torn off,” she added quietly. “Gave us all a bit of a fright...though it got even worse onse Rumiko found what that prick Hannsen was hiding in the fembots.”

The Field Agents exchanged worried glances. “He was hiding something in them?” Major Tom muttered.

“Each of the fembots we scrapped had one part of a binary algorithm,” Rumiko explained, “apparently meant to be transmitted and received over some sort of localized WiFi signal---”

“And the other half of each algorithm is in the fembots we fought at SJSU,” Oberon groaned, slapping his forehead. “The bastard WANTED us to bring them back for analysis after the fight---they let themselves lose to us!” He dismounted his horse, glancing in the direction Rae and the others had come from; “Have any of the cleanup crew vehicles returned while we've been out?” he asked. “Specifically, any
from SJSU?”

Rae closed her eyes and focused; a few seconds (and rapid blinks) later, she replied: “None so far.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” Reaver muttered. “The trucks left SJSU before we did....why the hell wouldn't they be back yet?”

Every Field Agent present looked to Oberon, expecting an answer....but the Chairman stayed quiet.

“If you know something about this,” Alicia mused, “it'd be a really good time to share with the group---”

“Defensive positions.”

Alicia barely had time to mutter “What?” before Oberon turned to address the Field Agents directly. “ALL OF YOU, TAKE UP DEFENSIVE POSITIONS NOW! ARMS AT THE READY! DO NOT MOVE UNTIL I GIVE THE SIGNAL!” He climbed back into the saddle of his steed, guiding the animal to move into a position that would give him a perfect view of the only road leading into the HQ. “Alicia, have all of your Agents take up positions of supporting fire,” he ordered, gently shaking the horse's reins to encourage the mount into moving forward just a bit. “Don't open fire until I say---”

“You're acting like we're about to be under seige,” Alicia scoffed. “I mean....” Her expression faded; “You're not serious, are you?” she whispered. “They're not coming here---half of them were---”

“Shot, stabbed, dismembered, maimed and otherwise reduced to so much walking scrap,” Oberon finished, not smiling. “And yet it appears that even in a state of terminal defeat, they still have the upper hand. We are going to be under seige, Miss Lehane, in a matter of minutes---as such, I humbly suggest that you take up a position of supporting fire and prepare to engage the enemy.”

The blonde gynoid glanced around the courtyard, noticing her fellow Sisters from the House already in place to provide the necessary cover fire. “You're sure about this?” she asked.

“Positive.”

With a heavy, somewhat-saddened sigh, Alicia moved into her designated spot. “I'd say my usual spiel about really hoping that you know what you're doing,” she murmured, “but with you....”

Just as she turned back to face the road, she noticed Oberon smile. “You know me all too well, Alicia.”

None of the Field Agents gathered there expected the trucks to arrive in the span of 10-15 minutes as they stood in the courtyard, waiting; a few of them even said that an arrival time within 30-45 minutes was a long shot. Oberon himself had anticipated an hour-long wait, making and revising a few dozen plans in his head as he stood ready.

Thus, when the cleanup crew trucks pulled into the driveway a scant 3 minute after Oberon gave the order for everyone to assume a defensive position, those present were...more than a bit surprised.

All five trucks seemed to have been put through an absolute thrashing on the way to the ALPA headquarters; of the group, none of them had full tires on all 18 wheels, and even fewer had working headlights, windshield wipers, windows or any of the other acoutrements commonly found on 18-wheelers. Each truck had a pair of fembots behind the wheel; in each instance, both fembots had thousand-yard stares that saw nothing in front of them, and their “clothing” was almost less than the sports bra/bike shorts the others had been kitted out with before their own deployment.

The question of “Where are the drivers?” silently passed through the ALPA/House group, with no Agent from either party willing to hazard a guess at the answer.

An almost palpable sense of trepidation was evident as the trucks idled, their trailers---all of which faced away from ALPA HQ---were opened; within a matter of seconds, columns of fembots were marching between the trucks, lining up in front of them in formation. None of them displayed the animalistic gait seen in the skirmish at SJSU; now, every fembot in the group stood, ramrod-straight, as the rest fell in line.

“Damn you, Hannsen,” Oberon muttered. “Damn you to the innermost circle of Hell.”

As a single, unified mass, the fembots marched towards the gate leading into the courtyard, with those in the row closest to the gate extending their arms to grab it as soon as they were close enough. Even as 10,000 volts shot through the gate into the fembots, they held on, only letting go when the voltage finally sputtered out weakly. The moment the gates were no longer electrified, the fembots simply pulled up on whatever portion of the thing was in their grip.

Seconds later, the gate was torn off its hinges.

“FIRST WAVE,” Oberon bellowed, “PREPARE TO ATTACK ON MY MARK!” A line of Field Agents ran forward, weapons at the ready. “READY-----”

One of the fembots tore a bar loose from the gate, hurling it like a spear---and impaling a Field Agent through the skull. Before the dead man even hit the ground, the entire squad of Field Agents ran forward as one, swinging swords, clubs, axes and shields at their targets. Oberon himself charged forth, screaming like a berserker as he cleaved the heads off of three fembots at once.

A pithy remark had just formed on Alicia's lips when she heard an order shouted to her: “SUPRESSING FIRE, NOW!”

He really knows how to lay on the commanding tones, doesn't he.... “Okay, girls, you heard the man---give 'em some cover fire!” Every House gynoid in the courtyard drew her pulser and fired into the mass of fembots, only stopping just long enough for their weapons to recharge before letting loose another volley of shots. “That enough supressing fire for ya?!” Alicia called out, grinning.

“MORE THAN ENOUGH, MISS LEHANE!” Oberon shouted back, his own smile looking a tad wolfish as he ran two more fembots through with his blade. “KEEP UP THE EXEMPLARY WORK---” He flinched as another fembot tore at the protective mask covering his wounded face; for a moment, Alicia thought she would have to endure the sight of the ALPA chairman's hideous burns...

...and instead found herself marvelling at the fact that Oberon's scorched face was now fully healed.

Even as she reflected upon the impossibility of such a thing, the blonde gynoid still managed to pick off a few more fembots with her pulser. Kimiko and the other House Agents were doing rather splendidly as well, with at least three of them keeping score despite Oberon's tendency to frown on such things. In short, what had started out looking like a full-on seige was turning into a decisive victory for the ALPA/House side; the fembots were already starting to fall back---

“TWO MORE HOSTILES APPROACHING FROM---what the hell?! Are they jumping out of the building---”

Reaver's confused shout was drowned out by screams---coming from behind the firing line.

Oberon guided his horse to turn, with the other Field Agents following suit---and all present nearly threw up where they stood. Two fembots---one redhead, one brunette---stood beside a fallen Field Agent, their hands on his shoulders. “You weren't thinking of starting without us, were you?” the redhead taunted.

“After all, this is our command performance,” the brunette added....

...mere seconds before shattering the Field Agent's ribs with an elbow strike.

“LET HIM GO!” Alicia heard herself scream---immediately hating herself for it. The fembots smirked; “And what if we don't?” the redhead inquired. “You'll blast us with that pathetic little toy of yours?”

“This toy,” Alicia growled, “is---”

Before she could blink, the brunette was in front of her, grabbing the pulser out of her hand. “This toy,” she intoned, “is broken.” Without even giving Alicia time to take it back, the fembot bent the gun's barrel backwards.

“And in a few seconds,” the redhead whispered---from behind Alicia, “you'll be, too.”

Don't let it end this way, please----

“OI!”

The fembots, more confused than intimidated, glanced in the direction of the shout. “One of the humans wants to play?” the redhead mused.

“They must have a death wish,” the brunette reasoned. “Simple as that---”

“I DO NOT HAVE A DEATH WISH!” Oberon shouted, jumping off of his horse and striding towards the fembots with absolute hatred in his eyes. “What I do have is a really sharp sword that's probably perfect for slicing, dicing and turning you two into curly-fries---and I am not going to hesitate to use it on both of you. Now, then, unless you want your arms off---”

“Like this?” The redhead grabbed Alicia by the arm, tightening her grip---

---and found a foot-long ceramic hatchet embedded in her wrist.

“Don't do that again,” Oberon warned. “I mean it. Next time, I'll aim right between your stupid little eyes...so follow my advice and let her go, NOW.” None of the Field Agents moved to stop him; the look on his face was an uncharacteristically ugly sneer, almost as if he was daring the fembots to defy him. “You think I won't cut you to ribbons where you stand?” he whispered. “You think I'll just keep threatening you and not do anything to stop you?” He pulled a throwing knife from his wrist pauldron; “This one'll be up your left nostril if you don't let her go,” he warned. “Last warning.”

“Should we listen to him?” the brunette asked.

“Might as well,” the redhead agreed---just as the throwing knife hit her in the shoulder. “What the---”

The armored sole of a boot slammed into her face, sending her to the pavement in a sprawling heap. “Drop it,” Oberon hissed. “Let it fall now. Drop it, or I'll take your hand.”

Even as she gave the ALPA chairman a death glare, the fembot dropped the stainless-steel needle that had been concealed in her hand. “You win,” she admittted. “Caught me red-handed---” Her taunt ended in a gasp, as Oberon grabbed her other wrist. “Do not play games with me,” he growled. “I've no compunctions about killing you in an instant if you so much as breathe on any of my Agents the wrong way...”

“Oberon,” Alicia breathed, “we have bigger problems to worry about right now. The fembots---”

One of the Field Agents behind them yelled something, finally prompting a glance from Oberon----which proved that the “bigger problem” Alicia had just mentioned was far worse than even he could've expected. Every fembot in the courtyard was now striding towards the building, ignoring everything else (including the attacks of the Field Agents) around them. One fembot in particular merely shrugged away from the slash that took her right arm, continuing her walk towards the building as if nothing had happened.

“Your choice, Mister Chairman,” the redheaded fembot purred. “Keep fighting us....or stop them.”

A growl fought its way past Oberon's lips as he let the fembot go. “Next time,” he warned, “I will end you.”

“If you get a next time,” the redhead taunted.

Ignoring the infinite number of profane replies that he could've fired back with, the ALPA chairman instead decided to focus on maneuvering the troops into position. “Let them pass,” he ordered. “Once they get into the building, then we strike---not a moment sooner. If we move against them too early, they could take out the entire lobby in seconds----”

Somewhere inside the building, someone screamed.

“That was your big plan?!” Alicia hissed. “Letting them into the building to kill everyone---”

“Don't think of it that way,” Major Tom advised. “It'll make a lot more sense in a few seconds....”

The last syllable had barely left his lips when a metallic clang from the building sounded; the security shutters had closed over the doors and windows, effectively locking the fembots inside the building.

“Before you start yelling,” he continued, grabbing Alicia by the shoulders, “think of it like this: We're not locking our people in with the fembots, we're locking the fembots in with our people.....” He winked. “Specifically, one of our people who could probably rip them all limb from limb if she so desired. Trust me---Oberon thought this through---”

A grinding, scraping sound of concrete moving against concrete drew a grimace from the ex-NASA operative before he could finish. “...and we have a few other surprises,” he muttered, glaring in the direction of the noise.

“For instance,” Oberon beamed, “the courtyard of the ALPA Central Headquarters in San Jose has a rather convenient secret entrance built underneath this fully-operational decorative fountain. It'll take us under the lobby, right past some of the more damaged bits of the ground floor, and to a service elevator that leads right to my office---and from there, we can hold the line.” He smiled proudly as he patted the fountain. “In short, we haven't lost this one yet, Miss Lehane---and unless things somehow inexplicably take a really, really bad turn for the---”

“DON'T,” Alicia warned. “If you say things will take a turn for the worse---”

Major Tom's walkie-talkie squawked from its place on his belt.

“Then they will,” the blonde gynoid finished, her eyes squeezed shut.

Oberon and the Major exchanged worried glances; “It appears that the backup team was...unable to contain Aaberg's two minions over at SJSU,” Oberon informed the Field Agents. “We may need to proceed with our plans at a somewhat....accelerated pace---if Aaberg's flunkies are able to get in through the passage beneath the fountain, then we're in for an unwinnable fight.”

“Not the way I see it,” Reaver countered. “If they enter through that narrow hall under the fountain---”

“If they do,” Oberon interjected, “then they'll have us in a bottleneck---the Agents in front will only be able to move ahead, while those in the back of the group will have to fight. Even against just two, a fight in a narrow hall can easily turn agaisnt us, which is why we won't give them the opportunity. Now, then, unless anyone here has any better suggestions...”

None of the Field Agents said a word.

“Now that we've managed to get that minor little snag out of the way,” Oberon mused, “let's leave this rather boring place behind and get to my office, shall we?” He gave a blithe smile and strode over to the fountain.

Alicia shook her head in disbelief; “We've got hostiles in the building,” she muttered, “hostiles inbound, and I don't know how many potential casualties inside, and he's acting like we're about to join an Easter parade or something....” She glanced over her shoulder at Major Tom. “Tell me, Starman,” she murmured, “is your boss always like this?”

The Major only chuckled. “You should see him when he's angry.”

“Something tells me I don't want to,” the blonde gynoid quietly replied, falling into step with the other ALPA and House Field Agents as they followed Oberon into the underground passage. “If he's anything like Celeste when she's angry..”

None of the Agents spoke as they entered the passage, though all of them flinched as soon as the fountain above them slid back into place to cover the entrance. “I've been meaning to get the mechanism changed on that thing,” Oberon admitted. “Maybe next year---”

“How long is this hallway?” Kimiko called out from somewhere around the back of the group.

“It's not so much a hallway,” Oberon admitted, “as it is an underground labyrinth. Seeing as how I had a hand in the design process, though, I know all the nice little tricks to keep us from getting lost---including one that, for all intents and purposes, lets us skip right through to the end.” A rhythmic pattern of something tapping on the stone floor filled the otherwise-quiet hallway for a few moments....

….replaced soon after by the unmistakable grinding of stone-on-stone.

“Beats the hell out of IDCLIP any day of the week,” the ALPA Chairman beamed. “Right---all of you, follow the sound of my voice, and DO NOT step off the main path under any circumstances!”

Somehow, even for the android and gynoid Field Agents, time seemed to stretch---none of them could tell if they'd been walking in a straight line for five minutes or five hours. “This is just weird,” Kimiko murmured. “I mean, I've felt like everything around me was just a dream a few times before, during maintenance sessions and stuff, but this.....this barely even feels real.” She glanced around her; “It's like I'm walking on a bridge made of glass, or something....and I can barely even feel myself moving!” That thought instantly worried her: “We're not malfunctioning, are we?” she asked Julia. “I mean, you don't think we're malfunctioning, or---”

“I know for a fact that I'm not,” Julia assured her. “Though I do admit that this all does seem....a bit surreal...”

Both gynoids gasped as they felt hands on their shoulders. “Nothing to worry about, girls,” Alicia VI beamed, easily keeping pace with both of them. “It's all a bit of special effects and mild subsonic pulses---which is also why neither of you freaked out when you started feeling weightless and all that jazz. Think of it as...Muzak, but on a subconscious level.”

“And for anyone who feels like following us down here without proper clearance,” Major Tom called out, “those same pulses will go from subsonic to....shall we say, very uncomfortable. Especially if they just had lunch.”

Kimiko's eyes went wide, but Alicia gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Seeing as how we all have proper clearance, you've got nothing to worry about, babe–-well, apart from getting bored to tears from all this stupid walking.” She glared ahead, hoping that Oberon had heard her complaint. “Anyways, nothing's going to happen---”

Somewhere above them, something smashed into the floor hard enough to shake dust loose from the rafters.

“Probably just some of our fine Field Agents in the building, fighting off the fembot hordes and doing their best to keep us all from being brutally killed,” Oberon cheerfully called out. “Nothing to worry about---” The ceiling above them shook again, accompanied by the unmistakable (if muffled) sound of screaming. “Just keep walking!” Oberon beamed. “As long as what's up there is still up there, we're all okay down here.”

“You're sure about that?” Alicia called out.

“Positive!”

Alicia sighed; “I hate it when he gets all happy like this in the middle of a crisis,” she muttered to Julia and Kimiko. “It usually means he knows exactly what's going on, and he doesn't want to spill the beans.”

“So, what do you think is happening up there?” Kimiko asked.

“Well, to be quite honest,” the blonde gynoid replied, “I really hope the good guys are winning.”
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[DollSpace]

Another great installment, and even more questions than answers... Excellent writing

[Uhoh]

Another great installment, and even more questions than answers... Excellent writing

Agreed, so many questions, but an amazing addition. kept me on edge .